Although everyone has insulin in their bodies, for those with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas – which makes insulin – is attacked by cells in the body, inhibiting its production. Due to the essential job that insulin plays in the body, it is important that we have it, which is why individuals suffer from various symptoms.
Unlike type 2 diabetes, type 1 has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. In fact, researchers are unsure how the condition develops in the first place. Around eight percent of people in the UK who have diabetes, have type 1.
Learning to live with her condition, it wasn’t until Perkins began to share her experience that she was able to gain support of her friends, family and work colleagues. As part of this the star joined a US campaign with American company Sanofi U.S. to promote awareness about her condition.
Sharing how much the condition has impacted her life, Perkins said that cutting out sweets was not enough. She had to completely overhaul her lifestyle, which included eliminating starch from her diet.